In some countries people spend long hours at work. Why does this happen and is it positive or negative development?
With an ever increasing concern about working hours, some individuals has opined that spending long hours at work would demonstrate their productivity, so they are willing to work more. I believe, however, that long working hours could result in negative effects on both individuals and the society. This essay will present why this phenomenon is transpired and why it will bring about negative development to us.
To begin with, a fierce competition is the matter pertaining to this issue. In the modern society in which the low economic growth has lasted for a quite long period, companies are eager to maximize their profits under the constraints of investments. As getting hard to get a decent job due to this strategy of the companies, it is likely for ordinary people to have a lot of burden to show their capability and performance as much as they can. Without any unique and distinguished alternatives to show their abilities, it takes working longer than others for granted as an optimal way for employers. Thus, to survive in this severe competition, workers can not help but spending more time in their workplaces.
Furthermore, individual health problems shows the negative development of this issue. Given that, in terms of Economics, laboring has negative utility, working longer would bring more negative impacts on individuals and the society. Spending more time at work would cause the poorer balance of work and life, a main reason which keeps families from building a good relationship and causes health problems to most employers such as chronic head aches and back pains. The more unpleasant people would make the more societal problems such as the high rate of suicide. Thus, small efforts to earn more money and show their abilities for laborers in their work places would result in the more loss of money for the society in the long term.
In conclusion, it seems that it is inevitable to avoid working more to survive in this competitive society. Nevertheless, we should take it into an account that it would be also irrevocable if we lost our mental and physical health because of working too long.